Egg grading



R, R. HAUGH EGGGRADING July 9, 1935.

Filed Aug. 1, 195s y PatentedJuly 9, 1935 I Wal'e Abaliatioa August Q1;

esses for grading 'eggs and Ithe .principal lpurpose of theinvention is` tofenablea relatively unskilled' operator to determine' theV afge,"l grade, size,-weight and*otherdatafbywhich the gradeor qualityof the eggfisf ordinarily :measured or determinedl'f The apparatus. asparticularlyjset forth and described herein is incertain `of its aspects a development' or improvement upon the Y' apparatus landA process set forthlin my co-pending application; Serial No: 676,774,f1led June A21,1933.' Other features ofiny invention as set forth her'ein may-b'e considered independent vof` the subject matterfof .'.saidf prior app1icacion..'

' f Inits :preferred 'embodiment `as herein" Idisf closed, the inventionvv is shown as rvapplied Ito- 'fa continuous for: 'progressive egg-testing machine;

In the `drawing uiuatratingihesaidfernbedipart'fof: theapparatus.` f f.

Fig. Aflfis a vertical sectionvthrough the principal Fig. 2' is `'a'` sectionitalien-Y` on the I line` A2 oi! Fig. `1, .with Aa 'small egg in. position :fand .i

.x:Fig.-' i1-isy anlfsectioniftaken-ion the line mici the horizontal platforxn for tablezfthrough "which A. v :Referring`v to thedrawing, I0 atable or"pl`at form. extending horizontally f in ther direction of movement-of. the eggs, anduponiwhic'h plate' various partsJ `of'l the functioning .inechanismf' are mountedi -r The upper lsurfa'cel'lo'f said plate I0 constitutes a `bearing support and guideway` upon which :support slides aseries ofegg supports each c designated asfa whole i I I Each foffgsaidegg sup'- 'f y jports f is in vthe form'A of: lasheet metal'` structure,

theieggsupportingv part of Whichfs Ushaped` `in plan and is providedl with a pair of .opposed: paralilel bars or flanges -I2L and: I3-.suitably'inclined1to act, in effect, together' as'a.y V-blockonwhichV the egg rests.. d Attn-eend of the bars orsupports I2 ,and I3 where .they are y,connected',together, the sheet *metal eggsupport yI I isprovidedwith ag-pair o f upstanding-g spaced abutments 4 :and: I 5f; which limitthe--rearward movementqofvthe egg ingthe guides I2 and I3 and,'in eiechserveto move-the egg forwardly asa'unitjwi-th its support.

, The. egg-support.,.asshownfin Figs1.f1.and2, is

, made withI a y2li-shaped extension, I 6 .secured asby .riveting to; a pair of'v horizontallyvextendingwings '.II and-I8 projecting .outwardly -zfroin a chain linky ,It .Said chain IinIgIIl` is yapart tof,v a continuous ms".i

. The invention-relates V'to 'apparatus v:and proc-i the supporting shelf f i'. I .220072196 chain .20, which, by means of;.suitablemechanism; notl shown; is caused tomove in a. straight line onorledge 2| in the direction o1.'` the-arrowll. f f :A standard-or bracket, suitably-securedrig.- idly .to onel side oredgeiofythe main .pla,t;e| ll,,exiA

vtends above andibelow said plate.l ;Its` lowerextension serves," to supportia @lamp socket 25? in lwhich is mounted a :suitable: electric ',-1 a,n ip,v 26- having. a :concentrated or condensedv filament 2-'I located.: centrally, beneath;,thejcenteri ,the line of travel of the egg-supports@IIaand-alsojposif tioned at,Y the correct if, point 'f in' the; said travel sofas-tb, cooperate with thefphotoelectric target above the egg. p f ASaid photo-electric targent' com prises-J a.suitabley photo-electric .cell 28. vpositioned ina socket 29ffsecured to' the ,upper extensionfgot thebracketxll. n Suitable shields oryguards are# employed topreventjexternal or-fstr-aylights from interfering with the :operation :.otfthedevice.

Such guards comprises. casing 3l)` which enclosesv the lower lamp 26;; 'a casing* -3 Lwhich ,encloses the egg supportingf and propelling arrangements,

andfa `casing 32 ceu which enclosesthe lphoto-electric` right. ia ,admitted tfftherifder airacf fthe 4egg lby a pair of chord-likeopenings-33 .and 34 inA thesupportinggmlate I 0,1.; the' metal. vbetween said openingsfflgand 34 yserving lto limit the light` yprojected upon .thefeggto ibeamszawhichfif.l ex,-v

tended, ywould` beisubstantially contained within 'I'he vlight which isI received .fromt-he photoelectric cell- ,2S-ris alsoglimitejd,J controlled vanddirected bythe ilxed openingi'35 in the lower A Wall or ,casing 32. v-Said ,opening- .35, f. as, shown: in

Fig. 4, has@ pair Oi?` parallel walls 3and3'lg extendingin lthe direction ofegg travela,thelends-of the said/opening .being inthe form;4 @triangular or.-V`shaped internally `.extending projections- 38 and 39', y-'Bexieatli said-:opening 235gl there is-a ythe rconcentric-.space betweenpthe@ 'olk and the I shell of the egg-,pasindicatedfin Fig.y

1t.. has been -fwound thattheeratioofyolk diam-.-k eter to egg diameterremainafveryconstant, regardless f,.t1,1e.size;y of 7the` eee... Asexplained in `my,'prevRiJlSr application, the. verticalrositiongof the,` .ese yolk in. reference' to'. the reenter; Orth@ .egel-is useds aiguilletodetermnefthe qualityfor -i; fsaid,.prior applicatiorialso f ireshnesaof the eg describes the manner ainwhichthe rise; of the yolk abvathe nteriine of the ggfwoulderve to block! 01T; Saidxamount of light-@which Otherwise be .recelvedfby-fthefftareet-foI;-,the=..photo ir theegggwereafresh with its yolk .would electric'cell centrally of the egg. This is thev method as disclosed in said application for determining the freshness oithe egg. However, although said method is very successful in testing eggs of substantially the same dimensions, it has been found that if the egg is very large its yolk is correspondingly largeand there is thus a diminution in the amount of light transmitted,by` a large fresh egg as compared with the amount of light transmitted with a small fresh egg. The apparatus now tobe described is effective to compen-y sate for the variation in the size of eggsf.' v

that at opposite sides of, ,andwithinlthefcasingjl' 6I, there are,` positioned` pairs of spacedupper .and lower brackets 4| and bearings for a pair of vertical-shafts 43 and 44.

To the ends oi said bearingshafts 43and^44, there are secured thin, horizontally extending plates 45 the pivots 43 and`4'44 and 46 Whichextendfrom towards and overithe: egg support, where .the'y normally comel together atlthel'line Vlocated centrally of the egg and above Vandffparallel.with

the line of its travel. Saidplates or shutter'parts 45 and 46 a`re ynormallydrawrlmtogether so as-to be in Contact With'eachother, as shown in Fig. l4,"

bymeansof aA coil spring 46 located rather close v and 44, so thata-V very'slight force or pressure is needed tospread theV` to the line I"betw'een pivots 42|l shutter parts 45 and 46 apart." Theline or contact 41 is maintained centrally by meansrof rasrnall pin" orcylindricalstopmember 46;- l. f

' As shown best in Figs; land 4,k theshuttefr` parts 45 and 46; arelequipped respectively with small,`

downwardly' andverticallyf extending i pinsv 501and 5 I ,f the 'lower ends of whichrserve*` as"- journals vfor small `rollers 52 and 53- respectively. VThe'. ends ortheshafts or rods 50 and-5I are suitablyheaded j over as shown ata154, in order to prevent the rollers 52`and 53 from falling off the ends of their-'respective shafts.1 L

It`wi1l be observed that the space between the rollers 52 and 56, 'when the shutter partsare in closed positionas shown in Fig; 3, is substantiallyy less than the diameter of any ordinary egg and therefore when the 'egg'f is moved -or propelledl into the properposit'ion/for,testing its quality, as in# dicated' in Figs. land 2; the'rollers 52 and `53 must necessarily be forced f'apart. This serves to open the shutters `45ffand V46,as.i"n'dicated in Fig.=4,so as to admitv the 'proper-amountv of light which is found to be'necessaryto testan 'eggof' that parlticular diameter?. internal projectionsl 38"'and 36 ott-the Vlight 'aperture 35,v is .-to` eileet a relativeincrease inthe amount of light v overf and` above i the increase which would result Vfrom' the" mere increase inL the spacingof the shutters, and viceversa.v 1 V'Infaddit'ior'i'to 'the freshness of the egg, it is alsd'of'- some importance to' be able to determine quickly`the weight 'or size of lthe eggs, in'view of the f factV that `some1 States have?v denit requirements or standardsofxw'eight' In thepresent anisrn` shown -at -`the upper shown therein; the shutter part of Fissa. as 45-.is equippedwith an integraltail or re'ar extension 54j, the endof which serves jaspart of an electric switch. Said electric switch also lincludes .afsuitable lsupport '55 lfor a'setfof contactlsprings ,"56', '51;' and V156. Spring 56 normallybearsagainsta flxedst'op'56, spring 51`normally bears againstaxedstop 66, while the fixed- .stop'filisv normally spaced a substantial distance from the side of the spring 56. The position of `the spring 561s determined by ",differentfromthe"colorof the signal lampy 42 whichA serve as the fact that the contact 62 of said spring normally bears against one side of a duplex contact 63 on said previously described spring 51. Said tongue or spring 51 on its extended end is provided with another contact 64 which is normally terminal of the battery 66 is connected tothe ends Y 1 of thefsprings 56 By referring to Figs. 1 and 3, lit will be observedA and 56 byA branch lines in which Ythere arerrespectively included signal lamps 61 sa; 'Theoperation of thiselectric indicating arrangement is as follows Small eggs have a sufficient 1 diameter so thatthe shutters 45 and 46`will be spread apart a distance sufficient to closethe convtactbetween Gland 65. This` serves to eneru gize the signal lam p66 and. informsthe operator that: a small` egg-isinythe fzipparatusv at the test point.A When.` 9, largerior normalgsized egg-.isin position, the shutter; membersi arespaced farther apart and therspringtl ,is lforcedfztothe:leftta, sufdcient distance to connectits contactglwith the' :corresponding kcontact on the Hspring.; f 5 6.`

Meanwhile thegspring 56 follows ;spring;51land VIriaintain-scontactgbetween said springs. Hence, v-bothhotq thelamps] ,and 66 will be. energized when a mediumsizeeggis beingtested. However, whenfa still largerA or oversize eggp'asses through the, apparatusfthe spring 66 -is -moved over still further to the left until therxed stop 6I-arrests the` followingwmovement oi spring `56 andthusbreaks thecontact-between said spring 51-1a.nd spring 56putting outthe lamp .66..V 'Lr [I claim as my invention: z; f fs l. In apparatus for testlng egg duality. theA combinationofga supportafor an egS.Dhoto-elecf tric means for measuring thecapacity of the egg to transmit light,4 andv adjustable means con is preferably of a-color trolled` by the size of' the egg for controlling .the

effect of said photoelectric means. l f

2. In apparatus for testingl egg quality, r`the combination of a supportfor. an egg. photo-,elec-- tric means for measuring the capacity ofthe egg to transmit light, and means mechanicallyactuphoto-electricvmeans.

`-ateciby the egg for controlling theeffect-of` said the.. combination. of photoelectricw ymeans for measuring the capacitylof Athe eggztoftransmit 1 light and adjustable: means controlled by the size of theegg for varying the amount `oi'. light transmitted to'said photo-electric means.. f ,1

n 4. In.;;anelectric legg-andhng machine,l` the U combinationof photo-electric 'means` for measuringthecapacity of the vegg toxtransmit'lightand t shutter mechanism controlledby the sizeof the egg for, Ycontrolling :the amount' of ,light-.transf ymitted rlto said .photo-'electricmeana 5. In'an .electric egg-.candling apparatus, the

combination of a support for' an egg, photo-electric means for measuring thecapaeity of theegg to transmit light, and a shutterm'echan'ically ac'- tu'atedby the fe'ggitself `on said supportfor regulating the amount.'o'fflightY transmitted tosaid iPhoto-'electric means'f i f l' 6. ,In anelectric-'eg'g-candling machine, the combination or 'photo-electric' means forlmeasuring the capacity ofthe 'egg'to' transmit light; an

"adjustable member arranged to engage the egg while its light-transmitting capacity ismbelng measured, and 'means controlledl by vthe position et .i

photo-electric means; y

7. In an electric egg-candlingmachine, the combination Vof photo-electric means for measuring the capacity of the egg totransmit light, 'a

- member arranged to engage the egg while its lighttransmitting capacity is being measured, and

l shutter means actuated by said member for regu-` lating the amount oilight transmitted said photo-electric means.

. 8. In combination with a photo-electric device for gradingeggs, comprising van egg support, a

light source, and a photo-electric indicating de`, vice, a shutter for varying the amount of the transmitted light according to-the size oi the egg being tested, and means actuated-by said shutter for giving a variety of signals indicating different egg sizes.

`9. In combination with means i'or supporting an object to be tested, a light source, photo-electric means for indicating the -light-transmissibiliyty oi' said object, and light-prooi walls enclosing said parts, a shutter controlled by the size oi' said object i'or varying the amount of light projected;V on said photo-electric means, and means iorins creasing the positive 'or negative variation in transmitted light beyond an amount proportional to a variation in the opening oi' said shutter.

10. In combination with means for supporting an object to be tested, a light source, ,photo-elec- Y tric means for indicating the light-transmissibility o1' said object, andlight-prooi' walls enclosing said parts, a pair ofl shutters controlled by the size of said object for varying the amount of light projected on said photo-electricmeans, said shutters having a pair oi opposed substantially straight edges, and a diaphragm having a pair vof opposed edges extending substantiallyI transversely of the edges of said shutters and deviatl ing from straight lines in such a manner that'a positive or negative variation in the amount of light passing between said shutters will be increased by said diaphragm beyond a quantity proportional to an increase or decrease in the open- Iing between said shutters. l

11. In combination with mean'sir Supporting an object to be tested, a light source, photo-electric means for indicating the light-transmissibility oi' said object, and light-proof walls enclosing said parts, a pair of shuttersr controlled bythek size or said object for varying the amount of light projected on saidphoto-electric means, said shutters having a pair of opposed substantially straight edges, and a diaphragm having a pair oi' V-shaped projections extending from opposite sides thereof toward the center of the opening dened by said diaphragm, the vertices oi said vs lying in a line substantially parallel to the edges oi said shutters.

12. In an electric egg-candling apparatus..` the Y 245117,19@ orsaid member for. controlling the erecto! said combination of a support for an'egg, photo-electricmeans iormeasuring the light-transmitting capacityof an egg. a shutter comprising a pair of s pivoted plates vertically spaced from said sup- 'Y port,;an actuating lmember secured to each'of saidplates'and extending toward said support whereby said members will normally be contacted by an` egg seated on said-supportfso that said shutter may be opened'to an extent varying in s accordance with the size of the egg.

4 113. In an electric egg-candling apparatus, the lcombination of a'support for an egg, photo-elec- Itric means for measuring-the light-transmitting nivcapacity ot an egg, a shutter comprising a pair` ofpivoted plates vertically yspaccd from said support, an actuating member secured'to each of said plates and extending toward said supportl whereby said members will normally be contacted Vbyan egg seated on said support, so that said shutter may be opened to an extent varying in accordance with the size of the egg, and electrical means actuated by said shutter for giving a plurality of different signals according to the size of the egg to be tested. i

14'. In an electric egg-candling apparatus, the combination of a support for an egg, photo-elec-f tric means for measuring the light-transmitting capacityof an egg,`a shutter comprising a pairof pivoted plates vertically spaced from .said support, an actuating member secured to each of said plates and extending toward vsaid support whereby said members will normally be contacted byan egg seated on said support, so thatsaid shutter maybe yopened to an extent varying in accordance with the size ci' the egg, anda diaphragm mounted adjacent said shutter. adapted to increase the positive or negative variation in transmitted light beyond an amount` proportional to a variation in the shutter.

l5. In an electric egg-candling apparatus, the combination of ya. support for an egg, photo-elec-y size of the opening oi said tric means i'or measuring the light-transmitting u capacity of anl egg, a shutter comprising a pair cent said shutter adapted to increase the positive or negative variation in transmitted light beyond an amount proportional to a variation in the size l oi' the opening of said shutter.

` RAYMoND a, mman. 

